14 DAY TRIAL // According to reports from the RIA Novosti news agency and Russian Space Web, it would appear that two workers died at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia on Saturday, November 9. Three of their colleagues were also injured in the work accident, and were rushed to the hospital.
The deaths occurred as the team was conducting routine work cleaning out a propellant tank. Apparently, all of them were exposed to poisonous nitrogen vapors while they were readying the container for a refill. Emergency crews arrived on the scene too late for two of the workers.
Officials from the Defense Ministry in Russia said that failure to follow safety regulations was the most likely cause of the accident. The Cosmodrome, an alternative to the Baikonur installation in Kazakhstan, is being modified to support the launch of the new Angara heavy rocket.
At this point, Plesetsk and Baikonur account for just a quarter of Russia's total launches. Officials with the country's space agency, RosCosmos, plan to launch 90 percent of all spacecraft from Plesetsk and the new Vostochny Cosmodrome by 2030, Universe Today reports.